Josh Barnett vs. Hidehiko Yoshida
The fight was the Sengoku debut of both men. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Yoshida landed a leg kick. Yoshida landed a right and rocked Barnett. They clinched. Barnett got an awesome judo throw to side control. Yoshida regained guard. 'Don't let him hold on to your arm.' Yoshida was active from the bottom with hammerfists. Barnett landed a right. He landed a short left and a right. Yoshida closed the guard tight again. Three minutes. The fight was paused and Barnett's glove was adjusted. Barnett kneed the face twice on the way up as they stood to the clinch. He kneed the body. Barnett narrowly stuffed a trip. Barnett had the standing back. Yoshida dropped for a kimura and had it tight. Two minutes. Barnett escaped on top to half-guard after a while. One minute. The fight was paused once again. They continued. Thirty seconds. Barnett passed, they scrmabled, Barnett dodged a leglock and ended up on top in guard. Barnett dropped back for a leglock but the first round came to an end. The second round began. Barnett landed a leg kick. Yoshida landed a right hand. Barnett landed a hard leg kick. They clinched. Yoshida was breathing hard with his mouth open. Barnett kneed the body. The ref broke them up. Yoshida pressed forward landing a right and a pair of uppercuts, they scrambled, Barnett had a leglock. Yoshida was defending. He stood halfway out. 'He's got my left foot,' Barnett said. Three minutes. Barnett had that heelhook now. Yoshida escaped and Barnett ended up on top in guard but the ref immediately paused it. They were taking a while this time, checking both fighter's gloves. They were redoing all of the tape on Yoshida's right-hand glove. They continued, Barnett had the back immediately landing rights in under. He lifted Yoshida and put him down on his face. He mounted in a scramble. Two minutes. Barnett slammed the back of Yoshida's head into the mat four times with his elbow. He landed a right. He landed a right and a left and a right. Six big lefts. One minute. Yoshida escaped but Barnett had the back. He kneed the body twice hard. Yoshida rolled and Barnett landed in side control. He worked for an arm triangle there. Thirty seconds. 'Mount,' his corner said. Barnett mounted. He landed three big rights. Another and a big left and a right. He went for the armbar sitting back. Ten. The second round ended. The third round began and they touched gloves. Barnett landed a leg kick. Yoshida has slowed down. Barnett landed an inside kick. They clinched. Barnett broke with a leg kick, back to the clinch again. Barnett had the standing back. He dragged Yoshida backwards and down onto his face. 'Circle to the head.' Barnett put him on his back and mounted. Barnett landed a big right. He had the back with both hooks. He lost the hooks. He landed some lefts in under. He stood halfway. Three minutes. Yoshida was on one knee. Barnett kneed the body twice. Yoshida rolled. Barnett came down to knee on belly. He had a weird leglock in a scramble. He had both legs trapepd strangely. He had a heelhook in now. He didn't have it tight yet. Two minutes. 'Go to the kneebar!' 'Be ready to come up on top, Josh!' Barnett had the heelhook tight and Yoshida screamed in agony and tapped.